I love determining 10 meter splits to calculate maximum velocity and the amount of degradation over the final parts of the race.
Can the adidas miCoach Speed_Cell record 10 meter Splits?
With the popularity of Garmin watches for distance runners, it’s no wonder we are now seeing this technology for speed events, and not just another interactive computer game such as the Wii, XBOX 360 or PlayStation.
Several years ago, we tested the Myotest device for testing speeds in the weight room (i.e. speed strength) as well as testing for vertical jump. All I can say the results were a disaster based on real results. A great concept, but a few years too early. (Any Apple Newton users out there?)
One reason why they are so inaccurate is because they use accelerometers or gyros. For a pedestrian using it as a pedometer, it may be fine with a fixed stride rate and (very, very slow) stride frequency. When you are testing for 5 strides per second up to a maximum of 12 meters per second (or near 30 miles per hour), things get complicated. And inaccurate.
I remember an Al Vermeil seminar a few years back, and he had some video analysis on Tommie Frazier touchdown run, and he concluded the best way to test for maximum velocity is in a straight line. No cuts, no stop and go.
The adidas miCoach Speed_Cell for Soccer
The first sport to utilize the adidas miCoach Speed_Cell is Soccer (Football & Calcio for the rest of the world) and it will only be available for the adizero F50. Basketball, football and tennis will be available in 2012. There is no release date for the running module.
You probably saw the video on YouTube where Asafa Powell or Christophe Lemaitre were tested with sensors attached throughout their body. Now, with the miCoach Speed_Cell, amateur athletes can test performance tracking and make use of analysis technology. You simply insert the device in the cavity in the outsole of the adizero F50.
Personal player stats including average speed, maximum speed, number of sprints, distance at high intensity levels, steps and stride during play. The on-board memory stores seven hours of an athlete’s metrics and wirelessly transmits the data to their smartphone, tablet, PC or Mac.
The miCoach Speed_Cell will be available on December 1 for $69.99 at adidas Sport Performance stores, soccer and running specialty stores and www.shopadidas.com.
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Jimson — re your Myotest comment, there have been updates to the device since “day 1”, and if you review the Journals (like JSCR) you will see many independant peer-reviewed studies looking at the accuracy & reliability of the Myotest for jumps and barbell movements. You will also find publications from respected researchers (like Bill Sands) describing the advantages of accelerometer technology for performance assessment.
If your statement about the Myotest is based off an experience back in 2008, I highly recommend that you revisit your findings. For example, to measure vertical jump height we originally (2008) tried to use peak V, instead of the traditional flight time. Our goal was to make it “cheat proof”, but we found the peak V equation for jump height was not working so we changed to the traditional flight time equation, and it’s been that way since late 2008(and validated).
Specific to T&F, the Myotest is being utilized by Coaches around the world to measure force values during horizontal speed training (sprints, hurdle jumps)…using the available sampling rate of 500 hertz, that’s a data point every 2 milliseconds! Distance Coaches are using our RunCheck stride analysis to bring to the runner what the power meter offers the cyclist.
Your comment about the Myotest from the beginnings (2008), probably true, we were a few years ahead; but it takes a poineering company to bring innovative & change to the culture (any iPad users out there?)
Scott Damman, Myotest.
Great to hear from you Scott. For the record, I met Scott at our SFU conference back in 2008, and he was kind enough to lend me a demo unit back then. As I mentioned in the article, it had lots of potential, but technology is changing at a rapid pace. They come and go…look at Nike Sparq and their 40 yard dash timing equipment. I live in Rome now, so getting eval units is no fun having to pay over 100 euros just for VAT and Duty. And this is for a LOANER! But if any reader in the USA would like more information, please contact Scott directly, and you can work it out. I know Sten from Appmaker had great success from his beta testing with Speedendurance readers.